


Lips Like Morphine

by GlitterCrow



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Accidental overdose, Angst, Darth Tantrum and his Evil Space Ginger, Hurt/Comfort, Hux is So Done, Kylo Ren Angst, Kylo Ren Throws A Tantrum, Kylux - Freeform, M/M, Medical Procedures, Medical Trauma, OR IS IT, Overdose, Poor Hux, Poor Kylo Ren, Sick Fic, Sick Kylo Ren, Sickfic, Suicide Attempt, Surgery, Vomiting, emeto, gratuitous hurt/comfort, long-suffering hux, you'll have to read to find out!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 15:19:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13010553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterCrow/pseuds/GlitterCrow
Summary: Dozens of routine surgeries are performed every day on Starkiller Base, all without incident.Kylo Ren has routine surgery.  There are multiple incidents.





	Lips Like Morphine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prozacplease](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prozacplease/gifts).



> For my partner in crime. THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU. I LOVE YOU. ♥
> 
> And this is for me, too. I just wanted to get one "The Force Awakens" fic in before "The Last Jedi"! Enjoy!

Hux thought the worst of his headaches would have been getting Kylo Ren  _ into  _ surgery.  Unfortunately, that was foolish optimism.  The whole ordeal had been nothing but a living nightmare from the preoperative examination to wheeling him into the operating room.  Kylo’s lack of cooperation was the main obstacle, but Hux was dreading the recovery.  He had dealt with Kylo being sick or injured a few times already and he could only imagine what he was in for this time.  

  

Kylo Ren was easily one of the worst patients Hux had ever encountered, a title that came without an ounce of exaggeration.  Horrific training accidents... Flesh-eating infectious diseases… Being a general, Hux had spent a fair amount of time in the infirmary and had dealt with many difficult patients—their outbursts at least appropriate for the severity of their injuries—but perhaps underlying fear and respect of their superiors kept them in check.  None of that, of course, applied to Kylo.  

  

As soon as the surgeon gave the signal that Kylo was under anesthesia, Hux retreated to his private quarters to be alone with his work and some wine. He poured and swallowed the first glass in a very unrefined manner, but the second glass would be properly enjoyed, or so he hoped. Hux was not surprised when an automated notification from Medbay 3 flashed on his datapad. Ren’s bed alarm had been triggered. He was projected not to be done and in a recovery bed for another two hours yet. Two hours which Hux desperately needed to focus on work… He ruthlessly swiped the notification off his screen, ignoring it. The medical staff should be able to deal with Kylo; they had tranquilizers.

A whole six minutes passed before there was another alert from Medbay 3.  Equipment malfunction.  Hux sighed heavily and brought up the information for Medbay 3.  Monitors and communication were down.  No one had cleared the bed alarm for Kylo yet, and no one seemed to be responding to the new alert, either.   

 

_ Damn it all...  _

 

Hux walked at his normally brisk pace down the corridor, hoping that he would meet a droid or  _ someone _ who could provide answers as to the lack of response.  Someone was going to answer for this failure to follow proper protocol.   

 

He pushed the access panel to the Medbay, prepared to take control of the chaos of the medical staff trying to deal with their rebellious patient and the equipment malfunctions.  Instead, Hux was greeted with quite the opposite situation.  Aside from some random beeping, it was completely silent.  There were no doctors or nurses in sight.  Not even the medical droids with pre-programmed bedside manner were rolling around.  There was, however, a familiar figure sprawled on the floor of the hall.  

 

Hux sneered and marched towards Kylo, noting his body was crumpled in the middle of the apparent “equipment malfunction.”  Machines and monitors were hanging by wires and broken glass was being swept up by a dutiful mouse droid—the one and only responder besides Hux.  Hux watched it work, sweeping to capacity, rolling to deposit the debris in the garbage receptacle, and then rolling back to repeat the process.  It was an impossible challenge for the droid’s capabilities, yet it pressed on.  Something inside Hux envied that little droid for a moment.  While Kylo’s destructive outbursts weren’t frequent, they still made Hux feel utterly helpless.  Like he was surveying the aftermath of a strong storm, not sure where to begin with it all.   

 

“Kylo, what the hell have you done now?” Hux spat, anger growing in his chest the more he looked around at the damage.  Kylo didn’t respond—probably still in some melodramatic mood.  His medical gown had sweat soaked through in areas and the crook of his elbow was bleeding from where he apparently ripped out an infusion port.   

 

Hux was mentally preparing some kind of insult when another broken object caught his attention.  The door of the dispensary cart at the nurses’ station had been ripped off its hinges, not unlike the twisted metal remains of droids that had tested Kylo’s short patience in the past.  It appeared that all the medication had been ransacked. Bottles, vials, and pills were scattered all over the floor around Kylo.  The grim picture that the scene had suddenly painted made Hux’s stomach turn.  He had never experienced such an immediate shift in emotion and his legs nearly gave out underneath him for a dizzying moment.  His mind refused to believe Kylo would actually take all these pills, but the evidence could not be dismissed.  Hux bit down on the middle finger of his leather glove to tug it off his hand so he could touch the skin of Kylo’s neck.  Kylo was warm and he had a pulse, so that was at least  _ something _ .  

  
  


With a growl, Hux pulled off his other glove and threw it down.  He glanced around the medbay anxiously.  If Kylo had planned this, he did well.  He was able to get rid of all the medical staff and destroy the communication panels.  Furthermore, Kylo’s bed alarm chirped softly, remaining unanswered, so Hux had little hope anyone was coming near Medbay 3 anytime soon.  There was no time to leave to get help, either.  Hux felt foolish having wasted precious time gawking at the mess.  

 

The most sensible option was to get Kylo back to the recovery room and hook him up to oxygen and monitors.  He needed to know what kind of condition Kylo was in. If Kylo’s heart stopped, the medical equipment would be able to take over and auto-defibrillate him.  It was half a plan at best, but it was enough to give Hux a shred of hope.  

 

There was no way Hux could actually lift Kylo, especially unconscious like this.  He chased the term ‘dead weight’ out of his head as he grasped Kylo under both arms and, careful to use his legs instead of his back, hauled the beastly man back to his recovery room.  

 

The flimsy hospital gown Kylo was dressed in at least made it easier to slide his body across the smooth, polished Medbay floor.  It took half the effort Hux expected to get Kylo to the foot of the bed.  Hux propped Kylo against the bed frame for a moment so he could clear the bed alarm and arrange the bed to put Kylo back in it. 

 

Hux heard a soft groan and a change in Kylo’s breathing and rushed back to Kylo’s side.  Astonishingly, Kylo had started to rouse slightly. 

 

"Kylo, damn you, what were you thinking?  Why would you do this?" Hux demanded, fear twisting his voice to an uncharacteristically shrill shout. 

 

Kylo was clearly out of it, hardly able to keep his eyes open much less hold up his own head.  He was tipping forward when Hux caught him and pushed him back against the bed frame. 

 

“Answer me!” Hux shouted, shaking Ren.  He wasn’t going to let him go so easily.  

 

"S-ssorryyy... Huuux… Hurts. E'rythn' hurrs s’ bad.  N-needed pills," Kylo slurred with difficulty.  His breathing was slow and labored and Hux could visibly see he was struggling to stay awake.  

 

So this wasn’t an attempt to take his own life after all.  Now that Hux thought about it, Kylo would be more apt to take the life of another over his own… All at once, Hux knew exactly what transpired.  Kylo had awakened from anesthesia too soon, and in a great deal of pain.  The doctors had probably tried their best to remedy this, but Hux was willing to bet a half a million credits that Kylo was confused and irrational and thought the doctors were trying to hurt him.  With the damage Hux had seen, he was very certain Kylo had thrown more than one person with his mind.  Hopefully Kylo didn’t kill anyone in the process, but Hux could safely assume that the remaining medical staff fled out of fear and necessity to treat any injured personnel as far away from Medbay 3 as possible. 

 

Kylo—stupid, brash, and mind searing with pain—then took whatever he could find to stop the pain he denied he would be in after surgery.  It was no secret that Kylo detested medicine.  He maintained that the force made him resilient and he didn’t require archaic ‘pills or potions’ to help him heal.  Hux easily inferred that very same line of reasoning would lead Kylo to believe that if he had to resort to taking medicine, he thought he would need to take twice as much for it to be effective—since he was so strong with the force.  

 

Relief and irritation poured through Hux, the irritation notably canceling out most of the relief.  Hux found he was trembling; it was probably his nervous system finally giving up on him.  It wouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the amount of stress he put up with on a daily basis.  He’d have to pencil in a mental breakdown for later, if he could fit it into his schedule.  

  
After he understood the situation, Hux softened a little, but persisted in trying to get the hefty man to sit upright and concentrate.  

 

"Ren... Ren, you have to wake up. Stay with me, darling," he murmured, pulling out the pet name he reserved for their more intimate interactions.  

 

Kylo grimaced, but Hux’s softer voice seemed to motivate him to open his eyes.  Hux was finally able to draw in a full breath upon seeing his soft brown eyes again.  It wasn’t clear if Kylo truly had any comprehension of what was going on around him, but since he was conscious, Hux decided to change tactics.  

 

He quickly filled a deep basin with water and pulled out a few towels and pairs of gloves.  Hux set the items on one of the towels next to Kylo, who had already started to nod off again.  

 

"No, no, Kylo… Wake up.  You were stupid and I have to fix it... Again," Hux remarked evenly.  Maybe even a little fondly for the situation.  

 

"Whaaa..? I- I did’nnnt…” was the best Kylo could manage. 

 

Hux sighed, preparing for a longer and also more simplified explanation. "We need to get everything you took out of your system. If we can’t, I'm getting a medical team in here to pump your stomach. Is that what you want? Hmm?" he asked, stroking the side of Kylo's face. 

 

Kylo’s brow furrowed and he shook his head 'no' at that. 

 

"I thought not. Come on. Easy, easy... Put this in your lap—yes, like that—and lean forward a little for me. That's it," Hux murmured, guiding him over the basin. Kylo just sat there, wobbling slightly. 

 

“You need to vomit for me,” Hux said after a long moment of silence. Apparently Kylo hadn't grasped that was the plan.

 

Kylo took a deeper breath and made a strained noise that Hux took to be some sort of attempt to do as he was asked.

 

"I—I cannn-tuh," Kylo whimpered.  

 

Hux sighed and rubbed Kylo's back. He wasn’t cognizant enough to help and Hux knew he had to induce vomiting for Kylo.  He wearily pulled on a pair of exam gloves.  

 

"Open your mouth for me," Hux directed in a firm but gentle order.  

 

Kylo lethargically obliged the best he could manage, but Hux still had to pull down on his chin a little.  

 

Two gloved fingers made their way into Kylo's mouth. Hux moved them around inside, between Kylo’s teeth and cheeks and all around his tongue, trying to gather as much saliva as he could to make things easier.   

 

Kylo didn’t particularly care for it and made a small, sad noise in his throat. He raised a hand to stop the probing only to have Hux inform him that "It’s either this or the stomach pump" before his hand lowered in silent defeat. 

  
Kylo’s whining picked up and Hux carefully moved his fingers along the length of Kylo's tongue.  He went further and further back and finally reached a point where Kylo started to gag. 

 

"Shh... Shhh," Hux murmured as he pressed the two slippery digits down the back of Kylo's throat.

 

At the sensation, Kylo’s eyes shot wide open and he immediately started retching. Hux moved his hand out of the way, but Kylo didn’t vomit. He only coughed and began to drool profusely in addition to his sad, drawn out whines.  

 

Hux was disheartened when Kylo didn’t throw up.  He wanted to chastise Kylo—tell him this was all his own fault—but he was in such a sorry state with drool running down his face that he didn’t have the heart.  

 

"I'm so sorry, Kylo. I have to do that again. Just one more time,” he said.  

 

Kylo whimpered even louder and tried to turn his head away.   

 

“N-No… No,” Kylo pleaded. 

 

"I know... Oh, poor thing, I know," Hux said as he took Kylo’s trembling chin into his hand once more to guide his mouth open.  The first attempt had left Kylo’s eyes red and stinging, but now tears slipped down his cheeks.  It made Hux’s heart ache, despite at how angry and upset he was at him.  

 

Hux tried to work quickly for Kylo’s sake as he pushed his gloved fingers into Kylo’s mouth again.  Kylo gagged a few times, but Hux kept steady in his advancement until he found the little spot at the back of Kylo’s throat again.  In a matter of seconds, Kylo’s body lurched violently and he started throwing up a hideous rainbow of half-dissolved pills.  It happened too fast for Hux to pull away, but at that point, he couldn’t have been more glad to have vomit on him.  

 

"Good boy... Good.  That’s it; get it all out. Keep going," he encouraged, trying to use his clean hand to tuck strands of Kylo’s hair behind his ears.  

 

“H-Hux—it burns…!” Kylo sobbed before he retched and threw up into the basin again.  

 

Concerned, Hux tilted up Kylo’s face and immediately understood. The poor thing had vomited with such force that it came out of his nose as well.  He was full-on crying, his face a reddened, blotchy mess.  Streams of puke ran down his nose and mouth, pooling at his chin before dripping into the basin.  Kylo was panting, unable to breathe out of his nose.  He looked absolutely pathetic.   

 

"Oh, dear...  That must sting… All right, all right. Let me fix it,” Hux said sympathetically. He turned and reached for a box of tissues and held a few to Kylo's nose. Once more, Kylo failed to understand what he was supposed to do.  Had the situation not been so dire, Hux might have been more pleased by Kylo’s docility.  

 

“Kylo, blow your nose,” Hux instructed, his tone not unlike a mother to a child with a cold.

 

Kylo blew his nose a few times, and a chill ran up Hux’s spine.  He had never assisted someone blowing their nose before and it was somehow worse than getting thrown up on.  It was a necessary evil, one that Hux would only do for Kylo, since he knew Kylo would do the same for him.  Hux wiped up Kylo's nose and then used a towel to clean up the rest of his face.  The gesture was pointless, since he knew Kylo wasn’t done throwing up, but he felt compelled to do it anyway.  

 

“We’ll get you sorted out as soon as we can,” Hux promised as he wiped at Kylo’s face.  “You  _ must _ listen to what the doctors and I tell you, though… Do you understand?” 

 

Kylo’s eyes were closed, but he gave a small nod.  

 

Hux wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he finally heard troopers and officers entering the Medbay.  He was still sitting on the floor with Kylo, stroking his hair in between bouts of vomiting.  It didn’t take long for the officers to find them, and the chief officer stammered apologies profusely.  

 

“Enough!” Hux snapped.  “There will be plenty of time to explain your department’s  _ multiple _ failures later.  Lord Ren needs medical attention, now,” he said.  

 

The officer paled but gave an affirmative answer and salute.  He then directed his men to move Lord Ren to the bed, which Kylo surprisingly  allowed.  

 

A new doctor entered after the officers and began treating Kylo right away.  

 

Hux moved to wash himself up a little in the refresher.  He splashed water on his face and tried to clean the vomit off his shirt.  When he was finished, he saw Kylo was hooked up to the monitors again and was being fussed over.  Hux took that as a sign he should leave the doctors to their work. He turned to leave but felt an invisible tug at his wrist.  He turned to look at Kylo.  

 

Kylo’s voice spoke directly into Hux’s mind.  

 

_ I’m sorry, Hux.  I should have listened to you. _

 

Hux scoffed and raised an eyebrow.  It was probably the closest to an apology was going to get.  He hoped Kylo could hear him when he answered the voice in his head.  

 

_ It would serve us both well if you obeyed me.  _

 

Kylo smiled.  

  
  


 


End file.
